E. Squire Shrugged?

This evening on my way home, I had a long talk with my dad.  He did most of the talking, which is characteristic of the conversations I have with him.  (In contrast, when I converse with my mom, I do most of the talking.  And when my mom converses with my dad, she does most of the talking.)  My dad is concerned for me, and I actually really appreciated the way he expressed that today.  

Perhaps the most interesting and the most freeing part of the conversation was when he said:

I have a wild idea... I recently watched the movie "Atlas Shrugged," and without getting into the main message of the movie, by way of background, Atlas was carrying the weight of the world, and then one day he just shrugged and gave it all up.  I'm not saying you should do it, and I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, but... let me ask you this:  What would happen if you just...shrugged? What would really happen if you quit your job tomorrow and walked away?  What if you just left to become a marketing person, or a children's book illustrator?  I'm not saying you should leave the law.  But if you stay, you should know why you are staying.  If you're staying to please other people, you should know that other people's opinions don't matter.  If you're staying for you, then you should question whether you have the right understanding of what you're supposed to be doing.  And if the law is what you're supposed to be doing, then... that gives you a different perspective on your situation... it is a reminder that you are doing what you're doing by choice, rather than by force or circumstance.

You will be successful no matter what choice you make.  And you have a gift for identifying talent, developing people, and cultivating them.  Maybe your future will be in the law--but in a different capacity?  Either way, you need a change of pace.  You came to New York for a reason: to get training.  And now you've put in five years, and you've done your time.  You picked up a lot of skills and learned a lot of great things at each of your jobs.  It's time for a different cadence, a more sustainable leg of this marathon, instead of the current sprint.  

It was freeing to know that my parents don't expect me to remain a lawyer, and that they believe I can succeed in other fields if I so choose, or if God so leads.  Sometimes (not often) I feel trapped.  It's good to know that there should never be a reason for me to feel that their expectations are keeping me where I am.  If I stop being a lawyer, they won't hold it against me.  (I will, but that's a totally different matter.)  And it was encouraging to hear these words and messages of hope from my dad, who is about to retire and has seen much more of life than I have.  I'm so thankful for both of my parents, and I'm so grateful that they care about me so much, and that they are here to help walk and think me through this long phase of life transition.